The present invention relates to a fats and oils composition for reducing lipids in blood, and in particular, the present invention relates to a fats and oils composition for reducing lipids in blood (blood fat), comprising a triglyceride as an effective compound in which specified fatty acids are combined at the first carbon, second carbon and third carbon of the triglyceride. The present composition is preferably useful for cooking or foods.
Recently and in particular in Japan, the number of persons who suffer from ischemic heart disease or brain infarction has increased, and the average of age of the persons who suffer from such diseases has been getting younger and younger. These diseases are generally caused by arteriosclerosis, which mainly results from deposition of cholesterol and otherwise lipids in the blood vessel. It is considered that hypercholesterolemia or hyperlipidemia is one of the dangerous factors that causes arteriosclerosis. Although Japanese people used to have a cholesterol value in plasma lower than that of Europeans or Americans, it is reported that recently, there is no significant difference in the cholesterol value in plasma, in particular between Japanese teenagers and European or American teenagers. It is considered to be due to the recent change in Japanese eating habit. Therefore, it has been said that it is required to take necessary and prompt measures related to diet in order to prevent arteriosclerosis from the period of childhood (Current internal Medicine 3, Hiperlipidemia edited by Haruo Nakamura, pages 44 to 52, published by Kanahara and Co., Ltd., 1995).
Several medicines for promoting lipid metabolisms are already commercially available, including HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, linoleic acid derivative formulations, fibric acid formulations, nicomol formulations, unsaponified soybean oils, esterases, dextran sodium sulfate, artoron, probucol, and colestyramire. However, there is a report that these medicines may sometimes cause side effects such as kidney impairment, liver impairment, fever, and anaphylaxis, so as not to be said to be complete safety. Also, these medicines may not be applied to a person who is supersensitive to medicines, pregnant, or suffering from liver disease (A Book To Know A Medicine Prescribed By A Doctor written by Shigeru Kimura, pages 147 to 154, published by Hhoken Shuppan Co., Ltd., 2000).
Further, several formulations for lipid metabolisms that have improved in safety and effectiveness have been invented. See Japanese Laid Open Patent Publications Nos. 07-278010, 08-280358, 10-229841 and 2001-169753. However, such improved formulations have not become widespread, and in addition, are not easy to apply to our daily life. Recent National Nutrition Research reports that 59.6% of Japanese in their 40""s suffer firm hyperlipidemia [The Present State of the Nutrition of the Nation edited by Kenko Eiyo Joho Kenkyukai (Health and Nutrition Information Research), xe2x80x9cThe Result of the National Nutrition Research in 1999xe2x80x9d, page 45, published by Dai-ichi Shuppan Publishing Co., Ltd., 2001]. Therefore, novel formulations for reducing lipids in blood, that not only provide safety and effectiveness but also is easily applied in our daily life, has been in demand.
On the other hand, several patents or patent applications have disclosed functionalities with respect to the structure of triglycerides. For example, Seto et al. discloses in Japanese Patent No. 1728708 that a structured fats and oils compound in which a fatty acid having 8 to 14 carbon atoms is combined at the second carbon of the triglyceride, and a fatty acid having 18 or more carbon atoms is combined at the first and the third carbons of the triglyceride, may be superior in digestion and absorption, the patent being assigned to Nisshin Oil Mills Ltd,. Also, Seto et al. discloses a structured fats and oils composition in Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. 9-13075, which is assigned to Nissin Oil Mills Ltd,. The structured fats and oils composition comprises a triglyceride, in which a n-3 long chain multivalent unsaturated fatty acid is combined, and less than 40 mole % of which is combined at the second carbon of the triglyceride, may have an improved property in lipid metabolisms in blood. Furthermore, Cain et al. discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,608 that triglycerides, in which an unsaturated fatty acid having 18 and more carbon atoms is combined at the second carbons of the triglycerides in an amount of 35 to 99.5%, may be superior in ingestion and absorption. However, there is no mention of fatty acids combined at the first and the third carbons of the triglycerides.
Thus, the present invention provides a novel fats and oils composition for reducing lipids in blood, which is superior not only in safety and effectiveness but also in easy application to our daily life. Also., the present invention provides novel foods containing such fats and oils composition for reducing lipids in blood.
The present inventor has investigated fats and oils compositions for the purpose of reducing lipids in blood, in the view of the above problems, and finally found that a triglyceride as an effective component, in which a selected fatty acid is combined at each of the first, second and third carbons of the triglyceride, may accomplish reduction of lipids in blood.
According to the present invention, there is provided a fats and oils composition for reducing lipids in blood, comprising triglycerides containing a RMRLRM triglyceride as an effective component. The RMRLRM triglyceride has Formula I as follows: 
According to the present invention, the triglycerides may further contain a RLRLRM triglyceride and/or a RMRLRL triglyceride.
The RLRLRM triglyceride has Formula II as follows: 
The RMRLRL triglyceride has Formula IIxe2x80x2 as follows: 
Also, according to the present invention, the triglycerides may further contain a RMRMRL triglyceride and/or a RLRMRM triglyceride.
The RMRMRL triglyceride has Formula III as follows: 
Also, the RLRMRM triglyceride has Formula IIIxe2x80x2 as follows: 
In the Formulas I, II, IIxe2x80x2, III and IIIxe2x80x2, RM is an acyl group of a saturated medium chain fatty acid having 8 to 10 carbon atoms, RL is an acyl group of a monounsaturated long chain fatty acid having 16 to 18 carbon atoms, C1 is the first carbon of the triglyceride, C2 is the second carbon of the triglyceride, and C3 is the third carbon of the triglyceride. In the Formulas above, two RMS or RLS are bonded in a molecule, which may be the same as or different from each other.
Also, according to the present invention, in the total mass of all the acyl groups in the triglycerides, RL (that is, the acyl group of a monounsaturated long chain fatty acid having 16 to 18 carbon atoms) may be contained in an amount of 60 to 90 mass %, and RM (that is, the acyl group of a saturated medium chain fatty acid having 8 to 10 carbon atoms) may be contained in an amount of 10 to 29 mass %. Also, in the total mass of the acyl groups of all the long chain fatty acids in the triglycerides, RL (that is, the acyl group of a monounsaturated long chain fatty acid having 16 to 18 carbon atoms) may be contained in an amount of 70 to 99 mass %. In addition, in the total mass of all the acyl groups combined at the portion of C2 in the triglycerides, RL (that is, the acyl group of a monounsaturated long chain fatty acid having 16 to 18 carbon atoms) may be contained in an amount of 70 to 99 mass %.
Also, according to the present invention, RM may be acyl group of caprylic acid, and RL may be acyl group of oleic acid.
Also, according to the present invention, in the fats and oils composition for reducing lipids in blood, the RMRLRM triglyceride may be contained in an amount of 5 to 25 mass %.
Also, according to the present invention, in the fats and oils composition for reducing lipids in blood, the RLRLRM triglyceride and/or the RMRLRL triglyceride may be contained in an amount of 45 to 65 mass %.
Further, the fats and oils composition for reducing lipids in blood may be applied to foods. Such foods may include cooking oil, mayonnaise, mayonnaise fake foods, margarine, dressing, bread, ice cream, confectionary, gelatine capsule and fried foods.
Instead of the RMRLRM triglyceride having Formula I contained as an effective component of the fats and oils composition for reducing lipids in blood, the RLRLRM triglyceride having Formula II and/or the RMRLRL triglyceride having Formula IIxe2x80x2 as described before may be contained in the composition as an effective component. In such case, the RMRLRM triglyceride having Formula I may be further contained in the present composition. Additionally, the RMRMRL triglyceride having Formula III and/or the RLRMRM triglyceride having Formula IIIxe2x80x2 may be contained in the present composition.
On the other hand, instead of the RMRLRM triglyceride having Formula I contained as an effective component of the fats and oils composition for reducing lipids in blood as described before, the RMRMRL triglyceride having Formula III and/or the RLRMRM triglyceride having Formula IIIxe2x80x2 may be contained in the composition as an effective component. In such case, the RMRLRM triglyceride having Formula I may be further contained in the present composition. Additionally, the RLRLRM triglyceride having Formula II and/or the RMRLRL triglyceride having Formula IIxe2x80x2 may be contained in the present composition.